Discharge tube display



F. HOTCHNER DISCHARGE TUBE DISPLAY Original Filed May 25. 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 1 f'wenz ar Fred 7"070'/7/1e/" I o/ 9 7 2 8 a 1 e a Re h. mr. ehv fl 2 film 6o 9 m w. Rm. [4% Em M. N Va m 7 T w own H An 3 Sn i D81 r o Reissued Dec. 6, 1932 PATENT OFFICE FRED HOTCHNER, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS DISCHARGE TUBE DISPLAY Original No. 1,803,706, dated May 5,1931, Serial No. 366,069, filed Kay 25, 1929. Application for reissuefiled October 22, 1931.

. This invention relates to a discharge tube display and the objectthereof is to produce a display device making use of discharge tubes forthe illumination thereof in which a considerable amount of advertisingcopy or ornamental design is illuminated without the necessity offorming' up tubing for the entire amount of display matter shown.

It is a further object to provide a display in which a portion of thedisplay matter may be readily changed without making any electricalconnections.

It is a further object to provide a discharge tube display in which ahigh percentage of the radiation from the tubes which is ordinarilywasted by being sent off sideward is conserved and used to illuminateadditional copy to that defined by the form of the tubes.

The formation of discharge tubes into smallletters and designs isdifficult and more costly than the expense justified by the valueofsmall displays. Hence the application of discharge tubes to work such aswindow dis play and department indicators has been quite restricted. Bythis invention the benefit of the brilliant and attractive effects ofthese tubes is realized in such signs with a minimum of tube bending inthe construction thereof.

A further object is to provide a portable discharge tube display inwhich the tubes are protected from injury and in which. all

electrical devices are self-contained.

Other objects of the invention have to do with various features whichwill hereinafter be more fully described and set forth in the appendedclaims. 2

Several embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanyingdrawings.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of-a sign made according to this inventionin which a discharge tube in the form of a border serves to illuminateadvertising matter in the form of raised light reflecting characterswithin the border.

Figure 2 is a cross section thru the sign shown in Figure 1,- taken onthe line 2-2.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of anotherv form of this invention inwhich a discharge tube in the form of a word serves to illumi- Serial N0. 570,471.

nate additional copy in the form of raised light reflecting characterspositioned above and below the tube.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a detail of the sign shown in thepreceding views taken on the line 55, Figure 4.

. Figure 6 is a perspective view of a modification of this inventionshown in the connection in which it is,installed in a show sign tube inthe form of a word and an ornamental border serves to illuminate copywhich can be written changed at will.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a portable sign in which one glass isreadily removable for the purpose of writing copy on the surface of thesame to be illuminated by light from a tube in the form of an ornamentalborder;

The sign shown in Figure 1, indicated by numeral 1, consists of acabinet 2 enclosing a transformer 3 and supporting two extended, spacedsheets of transparent material such as glasses 4 and 5. The glasses arespaced apart by four spacer bolts 6, 7, 8 and 9. Between the glassesandextending around the border of the sign is the discharge tube 10,

having the terminals 11 and 12 which extend into the cabinetand areconnected 'to the terminals 13 and 14 of the transformer by the wires 15and 16. The transformer is provided with the low tension terminals 17and 18 which are connected in any suitable manner to the source oflighting current.

Secured to the back lass 5 are' a plurality of raised. characters 0%light reflecting material. indicated by 19, 19, etc. The tube besidesbeing exposed as a border serves to illuminate the characters by meansof the light reflected by the inside surfaces of the glasses. It is tobe noted that this light is that which is radiated from the tubes in anotherwise non-useful direction, that is, in other than normal angles ofview. Thus a high percentage of the otherwise wasted light is conservedand used to illuminate the characters.

onto the glass and u window. In this form ofthe invention a In the formof the invention shown in Figures 3 and 4 the discharge tube is in theform of a word, and serves to illuminate other copy above and below it.The glass plates 20 and 212mm supported from the cabinet 22 by thehollow arm 23 thru which the conductors 24 and 25 extend. The'tubeindicated by 26 has a pair of terminals 27 and 28 which extend thru theopening 29 in the plate 21 into the hollow 30 of the arm 23, and connectto'the conductors. The glasses are supported and spaced apart bythescrews 31 and 32 and the spacers 33 and 34 which hold them to the arm23. The ornamental clamp piece 35 serves to deliver the-strain to thefront glass and the felt washers 36, 37, 38 and 39 provide a cushion forthe spacers. The clamp piece also serves to conceal the terminals.

The method of securing the various ele ments together is illustrated bythe section in Figure 5. The tube 26 is supported by the posts 40, 40,etc. The characters 41, 41, etc., are made from glass, cement or anyother suitable material and are cemented to the plate 21 as shown inFigures 3 and 4.

In the form of the invention shown in -Figure 6 a sign is provided forshow window mounting. It is constructed with a single sheet of glass 44to which the tube 45 is mounted by means of the posts'46, 46, etc. Thewindow 47 thru which the sign is to be displayed is utilized in theplace of the second lass,- the reflections taking place between thefront surface of the glass 44 and the rear surface of the window in thesame manner as between the two glasses in the forms of the inventionillustrated above.

The center ofthe glass 44 is clear of tubing for the reception ofadvertising copy which is written on the glass with any medium whichwill reflect the light and is capable of being quickl removed. It is tobe understood that if esired raised letters may be here used asin theforms of the in= vention described above. The sign thus serves as anannouncement sign and may be quickly changed. It is detachable from thesupporting cords 48 and 49 at the hooks 50 and 51. The cords areinsulated conductors and they depend from the terminals of thetransformer 52 which is located out of the line of vision. a l

The sign is spaced from the window by means of the bumper posts 53,54,55 and 56.

Connection is made to the terminals 57 and 58 by means of the conductors59 and 60. To make changes in the sign, it is unhooked from the cords,thereby also breaking the electrical connection, and then taken to aconvenient place, the old message washed off andnew copy written in thespace 61.,

. Another embodiment of the. inventionv is shown in Figure 7. The twoglass plates 62 and 63 are supported apart and above the cabinet 64 bymeans of the cast brackets 65 and 66. Both glasses slide in slots in thebrackets, indicated by 67, 67 etc., and may be conveniently removed forthe purpose of writing messages on the surfaces of the glasses. It is tobe understood that while I prefer to use the front surface of the rearglass, it is possible to use any surface at all for this. purpose. Theillumination is furnished by the ornamental border tube 68, theterminals 69 and 70 thereof extending thru the bushings 71 and 72 intothe cabinet within which is contained a transformer. The space for copyin this case is indicated by 73.

Various methods may be used for providing the light reflectingcharacters in the various forms of this inventon. Permanent charactersmay be made by cementing onto the front surface of the rear glass suchletters and figures as are commonly used for lettering show windows.Among them are the enameled copper, porcelain and glass letters. Whenthe copy is to be changeable paint pigments or glass frosting may beused. ater colors which can be readily washed off are also suitable. Avery eflicient method of presenting copy that is to be permanent is tosandblast or etch the characters into the surfaceof either of theglasses.

In the generic sense the term display pattern includes any pattern ofinscriptions, characters, figures, numerals, symbols, ornaments,designs, borders or signs, whether'including but one of any of suchdevices, or a number of any one of such devices or any combination ofsuch devices when used as an my Patent No. 1,818,918 which is a divisionof the original application herein, I claim a device of this characterin which those portions of the display which receive their illuminationfrom the illuminant are of such a character that they may be readilychanged by the owner of the sign as distinguished from the'manufacturer.Such signs I have designated writable signs as distinguished from signsin which the display characters in so far as the owner of the sign isconcerned are permanent.

What'I claim is: r

1. In an electric display, a pair of extended spaced sheets of lighttransmitting material, a tubular light therebetween in the form of adisplay pattern,-.and another display pattern disposed between saidsheets of light lUa' being so positioned as to be rendered luminous byradiation from said tubular light.

2. In an electric display, a pair of spaced sheets of light transmittingmaterial, a tubular light therebetween exposed to view thru one of saidsheets as part of the visible display, and means in the form of adisplay pattern between said sheets of light transmitting material forthe purpose of catching and redirecting part of the radiation from said,

tubular light.

3. In an electric display, a show window, a sheet of light transmittingmaterial, means to space said sheet of material from said show window. adischarge tube in the form of a display pattern and means to positionsaid tube between said sheet of material and said window, non-luminouscharacters positioned between the near surfaces of said sheet ofmaterial and said window; the proportions and spacing of the saidelements being such that said non-luminous characters are illuminated byradiation from said discharge tube.

4. In an electric display, a pair of spaced sheets of transparentmaterial, a discharge tube in the form of a display pattern exposed toview as part of the visible display and positioned between said sheetsof material, and a plurality of characters of light reflecting materialpositioned between the near surfaces of said sheets of material; thepositioning of I the said elements being such that the said charactersare illuminated by radiation from said tube reflected back and forthbetween said sheets until itfalls upon said characters.

5. In an electric display, a pair of sheets of material in spacedrelationship to each other, the near surfaces of both said sheets beingat least partially light reflecting and one of said sheets being lighttransmitting, a source of light therebetween forming part of the displayand visible through the last said'sheet, and means in the structure solast said sheet for the formed to catch and redirect a portion of theradiation other than that which is directly transmitted out of saidstructure thru the purpose of delineating a display pattern.

6. In an electric display, a pair of sheets of transparent material inspaced relationship to each other, a source of light therebetweenexposed to 'view and in the form of a display pattern, and means in thestructure so formed to catch and redirect a portion of the radiationother than that which is directly transmitted out of said structurethru' i said sheets of transparent material for the purpose ofdelineating another display patreceiving its light from said lightemitting display pattern.

light transmitting, a source of light between said'sheets in the form ofa display pattern forming part of the visible displayand visible bydirectly transmitted radiation thru the last said sheet, and anotherdisplay pattern in the structure so formed having the property ofredirecting radiation and so positioned as tointercept and redirect aportion of the radiation traversing the space between the near surfacesof said sheets thereby becoming luminous to the eye by redirectedradiation transmitted thru the said light transmitting sheet.

*9. In an electric display, a show window, a sheet of light transmittingmaterial, means to space said sheet of material from said show window,a. discharge tube in the form of a display pattern between said sheet ofmaterial and said show window, and another display pattern between thenear surfaces of said sheet and said show window and formed of materialcapable of becoming luminous to the eye by redirected radiation, therela tive positioning of all of said elements being such that a portionof the radiation from said discharge tube is transmitted directly thrusaidshow window and a portion of the radiation .is reflected back andforth between the near surfaces of said sheet and said show window thusilluminating the second said displa pattern.

10. 11 an electric display, a show window, a sheet of material having, asurface capable of reflecting at least a portion of the light raysfalling upon it, means to space said sheet from said show window withthe said surface closest to saidshow window, a dischargetubetherebetweeu in the form of a dis lay-pattern, and another displaypattern ormed in the structure so formed and visible to the eye thru thesaid show window when illuminated and having the property of redirectingradiation falling upon it other than by pure reflection, the relativepositioning of all of said elements being such that a portion of theradiation from-said discharge tube is transmitted directly thru saidshow window and a portion of the radiation is reflected back and forthbetween the said sheet and the said show window thus illuminating thesecond said display pattern by radiation redirected thereby at an anglecapable of passing thru said show window.

11. In a luminous display, a base, a pair of ornamental bracketsextending upwards from said base, a pair of sheets of material supportedby said brackets and extending from one to the other and supported abovesaid base, at least one of said sheets being capable of transmittinglight rays, a discharge tube between said sheets the terminals thereofextending into suitable connec visible tions in said base and means insaid base to supply electric current to said terminals.

12. A display sign of the character described having a gaseousconduction light emitting display pattern forming part of the visibledisplay, a glass plate associated therewith, and a light reflectingdisplay pattern having a discontinuous surface also forming part of thevisible display and receiving its light from said light em tting displaypattern,xa surface of said glass plate aiding by reflection to directlight from said light emitting display pattern to said light reflectingdisplay-pattern.

13. A; display sign of the character described having a gaseousconduction light emitting display pattern forming part of the visibledisplay, a glass plate associated therewith, and a light reflectingdisplay pattern carried by said glass plate and having a dis continuoussurface also forming art of the visible display and receiving its lightfrom said light emitting display pattern, a surface of said glass plateaidingby reflection to direct' light from said light emitting displaypattern to said light reflecting display pattern.

14. A display sign of the character described having a gaseousconduction light emitting display pattern formin part of the isplay, apair of paralle ly arranged gla-ssplates associated therewith, and alight reflecting display pattern having a discontinuous surface alsoforming part of the ViSi-e ble display and receiving its light from saidlight emitting display pattern, a surface of each of said glass platesaiding by reflection to direct light from said light emitting displaypattern to said, light reflecting display pattern.

15. A display sign of the character described having a gaseousconduction light emitting display pattern forming-part of the visibledisplay, a pair of parallelly arranged glass plates associated therewithand a. light reflecting display pattern havinga discon-' tinuous surfacealso forming part of the visible display and receiving its light fromsaid light emitting display pattern, the surfaces of said glass platesaiding by reflection todirect light from said li ht emitting displaypattern'to said light reflection display pattern.

In witness whereof, I herewith subscribe my name this 12th day ofOctober, 1931.-

j FRED HOTCHNER..

